Alain's birthday

[key-youth-bert.livejournal.com]

It's almost sunset, and the preparations are almost finished.

Cuthbert, Lilly, and the waitrats they've roped into helping out have set up tables with food out by the lake. On one of them, there's a small CD player currently playing The Beatles.

A few games are set up in the surrounding area--the kind you'd find at any country fair or picnic--but on the whole, there's nothing elaborate.

All that's needed now is for people to show up.


[Summary: Alain has a birthday party. Roland, Cuthbert, Susan, Lilly, Faith, Ace, Meg, and Gavroche attend. There are snow cones and lovely presents and a general mood of "there's doom all around, so let's make this one thing tonight happy and fun".]

Comments

[lastgunslinger]

"Parties?"

From Roland's tone, it seems like he's wondering if that's all she ever thinks about.

[awesome_lilly]

Lilly grins, as Roland's tone makes his point pretty clearly.

"Yes, parties, and no, that's not all I ever do or did, even. They just make for better casual conversation than the real stories about growing up rich and fucked-up in southern California. Infidelity and suicides and abuse and murder aren't exactly popular topics, you ken?"

[lastgunslinger]

Roland snorts.

"I kennit, yar."

[awesome_lilly]

"So you see," Lilly says brightly, "given a choice between talking about the holiday traditions that were parties and fun or the traditions that involved me cleaning my boyfriend's bloody back after his father'd beaten him again because his mother was too drunk and high to do so, I generally lead with the parties."

[lastgunslinger]

"Understandable." Calm.

[awesome_lilly]

Lilly smiles crookedly at him.

"I think you'd be surprised at how much of what I do is really very understandable when you think about it, Ro. There is method to my madness, I swear."

[lastgunslinger]

Roland looks at her for a moment, and nods.

"I know."

He does, really.

[awesome_lilly]

"We're shiny, then," Lilly says. "All good. Five-by-five. Rocketship, even."

And she smiles a bit more.

[lastgunslinger]

Eyebrows again.

"Rocketship."

[awesome_lilly]

Lilly grins, always happy to share slang.

"Rocketship. It means the same thing as shiny or five-by-five or even," she pauses, does her best to imitate Roland's tone, "it is well. I learned it from my friend Mel."

[lastgunslinger]

"I know shiny. The Serenity-folken use it."

[awesome_lilly]

Lilly nods.

"Yeah, that's where I got it. I picked up some great Chinese curses from Mal in exchange for his nickname. Captain mu ji. And Wash taught me some for being his baby dinosaur backup. I like the Serenity folken, they're good people."

[ooc: I'm going in a bit, move to wrap or slowtime or something?]

[lastgunslinger]

"That they are," Roland agrees.

Maybe he'll tell Lilly about the Academy some time. But that's not tonight.

He spies Alain, and nods to the box at his side. "Suppose I ought to deliver this."

[ooc: Wrap works. :) ]

[awesome_lilly]

"You should," Lilly agrees, smiling. "Birthday sai needs to get his presents after all. Catch you later then, Ro."